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LAHORE, May 24: Veteran comedian Rangeela died of a cradiac arrest here on Tuesday. He was 68. Rangeela had been admitted to the Shaikh Zayed Hospital in the last week of November because of aggravated liver and kidney problems. The filmstar also had an enlarged heart and was suffering from pericardial effusion. Doctors extracted a large quantity of water from his lungs and his condition started improving by the end of December.

Rangeela was shifted to the Sharif Medical Complex in the second week of January where his condition started deteriorating on Monday evening. He was laid to rest in the evening. Born on Jan 1, 1937, in Nangarhar (Afghanistan) as Saeed Khan, his family moved to Peshawar.

Rangeela’s film career started in 1957 when he appeared as a comedian in Jatti. Rangeela performed in around 300 films in his career spanning over four decades and won numerous awards for best actor, story-writer, producer-director and comedian. He appeared as hero in box-office hits like Do Rangeelay.

He produced and directed his first film ‘Diya aur Toofan’ in 1969 in which Ijaz and Firdous played the lead. He also shone as a singer and his ‘Ga Mairay Manwa Gata ja ray’ was a hit.

Rangeela had six sons and eight daughters from three wives. He was mostly looked after by daughter Farah Deeba, a PML councillor from Johar Town.